The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) is mourning the passing of Sergey Oulin, who died on December 31, at the age of 69.WFDB president Ernie Blom has, on behalf of the organisation, expressed sadness at the loss of Oulin, who was the president of the Diamond Chamber of Russia and a former member of the WFDB executive committee.AdvertisementIn paying tribute to Oulin, Blom said he had &ld...Read More

The CIS export market for pig iron was largely quiet in the week to Thursday January 9, awaiting more clarity after the year-end holidays, particularly in the scrap sector.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS, was $320-325 per tonne on January 9, unchanged week on week.Suppliers returned to the market with offers varying within the...Read More

Physical iron ore prices fell on Thursday January 9 following derivatives losses amid paused restocking from Chinese mills and a big increase in steel inventories.62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $94.37 per tonne, down $1.85 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.46 per tonne, down $1.85 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $95.22 per tonne, down $1.65 per tonne.58% Fe fines...Read More

The seaborne coking coal price fob DBCT rose again on Thursday January 9, although trading activity has waned from a day earlier. Fastmarkets indices Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $148.30 per tonne, up $2.04 per tonne Premium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $157.35 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $122.33 per tonne, unchanged Hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $134.02 per tonne,...Read More

Revival takes staged approach to Beartrack-ArnettSPONSOREDSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesArtemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesThe experienced mining, energy and agricultural sector transaction advisor believes mining's M&A trend, which gained moment...Read More

China has granted allowances for 3,180 tonnes of ferrous scrap imports in the second round of import quotas issued by the China Solid Waste & Chemicals Management Center on Wednesday January 8. This represents a more than four-fold increase from the previous ferrous scrap quotas which totaled 610 tonnes issued in October 2019. The first round of import quotas for 2020, announced at the end of Dece...Read More

If you ask an executive at your local mill in the United States which way prices will go in 2020, they will probably tell you nowhere but up.That would not be incorrect. Between late October and the end of last year, US steel mills rolled out four price increases totaling at least $150 per ton ($7.50 per hundredweight). And prices have since risen steadily.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-ro...Read More

RAPAPORT... Jewelry sales at Titan Company strengthened during the third fiscal quarter amid solid bridal demand, the Indian retailer said Saturday.Revenue grew 11% year on year for the three months ending December 31, which included the important Diwali season, according to a trading update. Consumer sentiment has been low recently because of an economic slowdown in India, leading to a decli...Read More

Overseas buyers have become more willing to pay for Chinese hot-rolled coil, although China's domestic market experienced some weakness on Thursday January 9.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,880-3,920 yuan ($559-564) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,620-3,630 yuan per tonne, widened downward by 10 yuan per tonneTransactions in Shanghai were largely concluded at 3,900-3,920 yuan...Read More

Export prices for Chinese rebar picked up slightly on Thursday January 9 on an appreciating yuan, while the domestic market was flat amid inactivity.Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,680-3,710 yuan ($530-534) per tonne, unchanged Northern China (Beijing): 3,540-3,570 yuan per tonne, unchangedRebar demand remained persistently weak, which continued to weigh on prices during the day.Traders did not lower...Read More

Chinese stainless steel prices maintained their downward trend over the past week amid sparse trading activity.Nickel futures on the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange picked up in the first couple of days this week after falling sharply, but they failed to push up spot prices for stainless steel due to soft demand, sources said.The three-month nickel contract on the LME ended...Read More

Trader and consumer restocking sent prices for cobalt metal higher on Wednesday January 8, with firmer Chinese equity markets, salts prices and raw material payables also underpinning sentiment. Fastmarkets assessed the price for cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam at $15.55-16.50 per lb on Wednesday, up 2.4% from Friday. The cobalt alloy-grade, in-whs Rotterdam price was marginally...Read More

Join Fastmarkets' web seminar on what could be in store for the minor metals markets now most stocks formerly held by the Fanya Metal Exchange in China have been sold off in auctions.The whereabouts of minor metal stocks held by the now defunct Fanya Metals Exchange has been a weight on the outlook of minor metals prices and contract negotiations since the exchange collapsed in 2015.Fastmarkets wi...Read More

A second auction for the 3,609.5 tonnes of indium once held by the defunct Fanya Metal Exchange has been scheduled for January 17, according to an official notice published via the Alibaba judicial online platform on Thursday January 9.The latest sale comes after a previous auction at the end of last year failed to attract any bids.Next week's auction will close at 10am Shanghai time on January 18...Read More

Key data from Wednesday January 8 pricing session in Shanghai and London. Key drivers Spot buying appetite for cobalt hydroxide has picked up considerably since late last month amid strength in downstream cobalt sulfate prices in China, while rising inquiries resulted in higher offer prices from suppliers.Consumers, especially those who have not engaged in any long-term supply contracts,...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 11 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of Weekly Initial Jobless Claims at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus was unchanged from the previous week at 223,000. Actual was 214,000.Kohl's dropped $2.88 to $46.50 after the company lowered fourth quarter sales and earnings guidance.Bed B...Read More

Dear Reader,"Journalism is about covering important stories," said one scalawag. "With a pillow."A staggering bailout of the banking system presently proceeds apace.The mainstream financial press has seized a bed pillow, placed it over this important story... and pressed down murderously.Today we pry away the pillow... and vent in desperately needed oxygen.Here we refer to the Federal Reserve's on...Read More

A new report from Bank of America Securities puts the total deal value of global gold mergers and acquisitions last year at US$20.19 billion - the highest in nine years - with the senior producers mainly active as sellers and the mid-tiers as buyers, and the bank says it sees potential for further consolidation in the sector this year.Years of underinvestment and rising pressure on production prof...Read More

Revival takes staged approach to Beartrack-ArnettSPONSOREDSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesArtemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesIn his book The Pressure Principle, Alred provides tips everyday folk can use to improve performance - both personally and in a...Read More

Production of 8,017 oz. gold in the fourth quarter from its Sugar zone mine has allowed Harte Gold (TSX: HRT; US-OTC: HRTFF) to exceed its previously revised production guidance of 24,000 oz. to 26,000 oz. for 2019. This represents an increase over the 6,069 oz. produced in the third quarter for a total of 27,316 oz. gold delivered in 2019."The quarter has been transformational on various fronts f...Read More